I think most of see life as now. We're not constantly remided that our body will eventually fail us.What we try to achieve is a healthy body so that we can use it to its full potential. If we want to be faster, stronger, we do what we need to do. We eliminate the harmful things in our diet so that we are not counteracting its amelioration. We live in an individualistic society where everyone is taught to strive for personal success. We have a drive to be our best. Physically, this ultimately means pushing our bodies, stretching our limits, becoming better and better. Another way of looking at why we don't want chemicals in our body, is that we've been given this body for the rest of our lives. we need to take care of it for as long as we have it. The more complex something is, the more of a chance there is that something will go wrong. Adding non-natural ingredients to our body can cause complications. There is no need for caramelized, carbonated chemicals, or femented ones, at that.

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"If someone asked me what a human being ought to devote the maximum of his life to, I would answer: training. Train more than you sleep."~Mas Oyama~

Interestingly Coca Cola was invented by an ex-soldier of the American Civil war who was trying to use cocaine to help cure his morphine addiction. It was originally sold as a headache cure and tonic (Pepsi was a stomach cure).

Coke apparently, was one of the leaders in early brand advertising, practically inventing it.

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See how well I block your punches with my jaw!!

Quote:Why should you treat your body with total dignity when you know it's going to give up on you?

Thats like asking why you should treat your pet's with respect when they're going to die before you. Or why you should eat when you're just going to deficate it out anyways.

The fact is, if we treat our body with the respect and energetic level of maintenance it will last many more years than if we don't....

Quote:I think most of see life as now. We're not constantly remided that our body will eventually fail us.

I think the people who focus on the end of things, are the same people who focus on the beginning of things to much. It leads to us not seeing whats going on right now, and leads to a life of attachment.

Quote:What we try to achieve is a healthy body so that we can use it to its full potential. If we want to be faster, stronger, we do what we need to do. We eliminate the harmful things in our diet so that we are not counteracting its amelioration.

Agreed.

Quote:We live in an individualistic society where everyone is taught to strive for personal success. We have a drive to be our best. Physically, this ultimately means pushing our bodies, stretching our limits, becoming better and better.

I don't know, I think the striving for personal success does the opposite of this. I do not believe strive to be their best when they are focused solely on personal success. This is an entirely different subject, but one I want to touch on. To better oneself sometimes means making sacrifices on what society deem's as sucess.

Quote:Another way of looking at why we don't want chemicals in our body, is that we've been given this body for the rest of our lives. we need to take care of it for as long as we have it. The more complex something is, the more of a chance there is that something will go wrong. Adding non-natural ingredients to our body can cause complications. There is no need for caramelized, carbonated chemicals, or femented ones, at that.

I suffer from Chronic Migraine Syndrome, basically a very nasty way to say that I have a basically debilitating headache/migraine every day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I've had this for the past roughly five years. (give or take a few months)

You find very quickly, that the body reacts to these "chemicals" that have been processed very badly when your body is so reactive. There are products in Tea that we drink that are similar to the processed, but the way it is delivered is completely different. You'd be amazed the lows that accompany artifical highs, even if you conceptualize it. Experiencing the natural middle path of constance is a very different existance.

Quote:Interestingly Coca Cola was invented by an ex-soldier of the American Civil war who was trying to use cocaine to help cure his morphine addiction. It was originally sold as a headache cure and tonic (Pepsi was a stomach cure).

Coke apparently, was one of the leaders in early brand advertising, practically inventing it.

Dr. Pepper was one of the only soda's to stay open during the two World War's... Because they liscensed themselves as a tonic, instead of a refreshment. Coke and Pepsi both shut down to put their resources towards the War Effort.

phoenixflame,I'm not agreeing with the democratic's society's view of personal success either. But for capitalism to work, society must be based on earning capital. One of the ways people are taught to "buy more things," is to be told that they need to buy products to fix what's wrong with them. Since the 1920's, and probably before, people have been told that they are not perfect. If they are not perfect, they are not socially acceptable. Their breath stinks, they're too fat, they're wearing the wrong clothes, drinking the wrong beer. We've been conditioned to believe that in order to become socially successful, we need to buy products that will help us, first of all, become social acceptable. I'm not saying I agree with this shallow view of consumerism and consumption, but for the most part, this is how it is.

Personal success can be measured more greatly in acts such as people devoting themselves to helping others, without any monetary value in return. It takes a certain type of person to do this, and there aren't too many who would, or do.

That's too bad about your headaches - really bad. What do you do to ease the migraines?

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"If someone asked me what a human being ought to devote the maximum of his life to, I would answer: training. Train more than you sleep."~Mas Oyama~

Quote:Why should you treat your body with total dignity when you know it's going to give up on you?

Quote:"You are always dragging me down," said I to my body."Dragging you down!" replied my body. "Well I like that! Who taught me to like tobacco and alcohol? You, of course, with your idiotic adolescent idea of being 'grown up.' My palate loathed both at first: but you would have your way. Who put an end to all those angry and revengeful thoughts last night? Me, of course, by insisting on going to sleep. Who does his best to keep you from talking too much and eating too much by giving you dry throats and headaches and indigestion? Eh?"And what about sex?" said I."Yes, what about it?" retorted the body. "If you and your wretched imagination would leave me alone I'd give you no trouble. That's soul all over; you give me orders and then blame me for carrying them out.